


strawberries and vanilla

by corpuscle



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, College AU, Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8842945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corpuscle/pseuds/corpuscle
Summary: prompt: Rabin meeting after a year apart, preferably angst :)





	

The ground crunched under Wonshik’s boots as he trudged down the bustling sidewalk. It had been too long since he’d been home, his first year of college made even more stressful by being so far away, and by the end of semester he’d had a countdown to winter break as his new tab screen. But after the initial newness of coming home, his family went back to business as usual and he was left with the task of finding something to occupy his time why they were at work. He’d exhausted the old collection of dvd’s and his xbox had been packed away after he’d gone, so he decided to take his mother’s advice of “stop staring at that computer all day and go do something” to heart. 

So he packed up his computer and decided to stare at it at his old favorite coffee shop. It was just a little family-owned joint. Nothing special, really, but Wonshik had been going there ever since he’d gotten his first job, any pocket money he had blown on lattes and hot chocolate. It had become familiar to him. As much home as the smell of his mother’s perfume or the sound of his father’s laughter carrying throughout the house. The closer he got to the shop, the more he realized he had missed it. 

His arrival was marked with the gentle tinkle of the bell above the door and he closed his eyes as he was hit with the comforting aroma of vanilla and coffee as he walked in out of the cold, only to have them snap open a moment later as he turned abruptly at the sound of his name.

“Oh my god, Wonshik?” 

Standing behind the counter, dimpled smile on display for all to see, was Lee Hongbin. He was styling his hair a little shorter than when Wonshik had left, and he seemed a little thinner, though it was hard to tell from the big sweater engulfing his shoulders. Wonshik’s heart sank the same time his stomach jumped and he felt the room drop ten degrees. He instantly regretted coming here, but plastered the most genuine smile he could muster on his face as he walked to the counter anyway. 

“Hongbin, hey!” 

“It’s been ages!” Hongbin lifted up a section of the counter, stepping out with open arms to pull Wonshik into a hug. Wonshik tried not to notice how his hair still smelled like strawberries, tried not to notice how solid he was, how firmly Hongbin’s arms were as they wrapped around him and patted him on the back. “How have you been?” 

They broke away quickly. Far too quickly, Wonshik guiltily realized, than he would have liked. He hoped he could blame the redness in his cheeks on his walk in the cold. 

“I’ve been good, yeah. Really good,” he pointedly kept his gaze on Hongbin’s eyes as the other boy’s tongue darted out to lick his lips, “Uh, how-how are you? How have things been here? You stayed for community college, right?” 

Hongbin chuckled, smile still bright and oblivious as always, and Wonshik fought the urge to run. 

“Yeah, that was the original plan, but Gramps got… Well. I inherited the shop, let’s just say.” Hongbin’s smile faltered but only slightly. Wonshik could tell it was still a difficult subject. He wanted to reach out, to pat Hongbin’s arm or hold his hand, something. But, he did’t trust himself. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he settled for instead. “Is there anything I can do?” 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Hongbin’s grin was back to bright again, “It was a little sudden, but it was… it’s fine. I appreciate it. Anyways, after that I dropped out. Mom helped me with the financial and legal for a bit, and now.. Now I’m an entrepreneur, I guess? I run the store.” 

“Wow, that’s… That’s really great, Hongbin. I mean, not that– the circumstances aren’t–”

Hongbin cut him off with a light chuckle and pat his arm and for a split second Wonshik tensed. But, thankfully, Hongbin didn’t seem to notice as he turned and went back behind the counter.

“So what can I get you? Peppermint hot chocolate? I remember it was always your favorite.”

Wonshik wasn’t sure how Hongbin could keep himself so… friendly. So casual. He knew they were both a little tipsy that night but, he couldn’t have forgotten. You didn’t go from being best friends for years to strangers in one night and conveniently forget about it all. 

Wonshik knew he hadn’t. 

The gentle press of Hongbin’s hand against his back, the feeling of soft skin sliding down his torso, up his thighs. Hongbin’s fingers in his hair. The light breathy chuckle in his ear. Flashes of dark, hooded eyes and pale skin and deep-set dimples. The smell of vanilla and strawberries. 

Wonshik couldn’t forget.

“Yeah, hot chocolate sounds great. It’s coming down pretty hard out there.”

They made light smalltalk as Hongbin busied himself with Wonshik’s order. He set the paper cup down on the counter and Wonshik reached for his wallet. 

“No, no, please. This one’s on me.”

Wonshik hesitated. This felt too familiar, too _normal_. 

“I insist. What kind of a jerk would I be if I made my oldest friend pay for his own hot cocoa?”

Wonshik smiled, but inside he knew it was a grimace. 

“Thanks, Hongbin. It’s been… nice catching up.” 

“Oh, you’re not staying?”

Wonshik patted his messenger back, slung down by his hip, and tried to look as apologetic as possible.

“I can’t, I’ve got a big project I’ve gotta work on.” He took his cocoa and smiled again at his old best friend. 

“Well, I’ll see you around then!” 

“Yeah, see you.”

He looked down at the cup in his hand as he walked to the door. 

 _Wonshikkie,_ it read in Hongbin’s loopy script, followed by a heart. 

Wonshik dropped the cup into the next trash can he found. He wouldn’t be going back there. 

**Author's Note:**

> come send me prompts at @hyuk-tho.tumblr.com!!!


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